Poland Clicks, 67-60, Will Play Benedictine
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Cyan Yellow Magenta USE THIS C1 Black K JOHN KOVACH Colleges TheVindicator Cavs lose in Chicago FRIDAY Ben Gordon and Luol Deng scored 23 points MARCH 7, 2008 apiece, and the Chicago Bulls overcame 39 and points from LeBron James to beat the Cleveland SECTION C Sports RECREATION Cavaliers 107-96 Thursday night. C4 Johnson HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL leads way for Walsh Poland clicks, 67-60, NORTH CANTON — Josh Johnson of Warren has been a big will play Benedictine reason why Pavlik the Walsh University The Bulldogs and basketball team won the American Benedictine will meet waiting Mideast Conference champi- onship and qualifi ed for the in a rematch of last NAIA tournament for the fourth straight year. year’s regional fi nal for fi nal A 6-foot-4 junior forward and a graduate of Warren Harding High School, Johnson is aver- at 3 p.m. Saturday. aging a career-best 10.4 points decision and 5.1 rebounds and was se- VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF lected to the All-AMC South CANTON — The There are conditional deals Division team as honorable UP NEXT Poland stu- mention. with several possible Poland boys dent section Walsh (25-4), guided by wore its 1980s fourth-year coach Jeff Young, opponents, but not with basketball workout gear clinched an automatic berth on Thursday Gary Lockett. to the NAIA Division II tour- Saturday — vs. Cleveland night, but nament March 12-18 in Point By JOE SCALZO Lookout, Mo. Benedictine, for the fans The Cavaliers, ranked No. 4 3 p.m., in the it wasn’t leg- VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF in the NAIA’s fi nal regular sea- Division II regional warmers that Since turning pro seven years son poll, sealed the AMC title fi nal at the Canton made them ago, Kelly Pavlik has learned one and NAIA berth by defeating Memorial Civic sweat. immutable fact about boxing: Con- Malone College, 82-60, Feb. 26 Center It was tracts mean more than words. in the AMC North South regular Pirates. So, as reports fi ltered out Thurs- season championship game. The under- day that he’d make his fi rst middle- Johnson ranks second on the rated Perry High boys basketball weight title defense against Gary team in steals (31), third in re- team held the Bulldogs to a sea- Lockett June 7 at Madison Square bounding and fourth in scor- son-low 67 points and were within Garden, Pavlik was in no hurry to ing. He also enjoys career-best one point with just over a minute start gathering information on the numbers in fi eld goal percent- remaining before Poland clamped relatively unknown fighter from age (47.7) and 3-point goal per- down on defense, winning 67-60 Wales. centage (37.9), while shooting in a Division II regional semifi nal at “I’ll wait until it’s offi cial,” Pavlik 75 percent at the foul line and the Canton Civic Center. said Thursday. “I don’t want to get handing out 43 assists. “The key to this is staying alive,” my mind set on one guy then have The son of LaKeith and said Bulldogs coach Ken Grisdale, it switch. Marlene Johnson, Josh is a two- whose team will face Cleveland year letterman and is majoring “I just go about my own business. Benedictine in a rematch of last in sociology. Whoever they put in front of me, Last season as a sophomore, year’s regional fi nal at 3 p.m. Sat- that’s who I’ll fi ght.” Johnson played in all 34 games urday. “We get to dance at least one Although no contracts have averaging 6.1 points and 3.7 re- more time.” been signed — Top Rank chair- bounds per game. District co-player of the year Ben man Bob Arum said his focus is on While at Harding under Umbel played a spectacular game, the March 15 bout between Manny coach Steve Arnold, Johnson recording game-highs in points Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Mar- won three letters, and averaged (22), steals (11) to go along with quez — a source close to the ne- 14 points and 7 rebounds per eight rebounds for Poland (24-0), gotiations confi rmed Lockett will game as a senior, and 15 points which is one game away from its be Pavlik’s opponent provided the and 9 rebounds per game as a second straight trip to the state money can be worked out. junior. tournament. Pavlik’s trainer, Jack Loew, was Umbel saved his biggest play for told Tuesday night that Lockett had Champion’s Stingel the fi nal minute. After splitting a emerged as the choice between also on Walsh team pair of free throws to make it 62- four prospective opponents. Two Also on the 60, Umbel came up with a big steal of those fi ghters, Giovanni Lorenzo Walsh team is on the other end. After a basket by and Marco Antonio Rubio, are still Kevin Stingel, Ben Donlow made it a four-point options, Arum said. a 5-11 senior game, Niko Fatimus added anoth- “This isn’t done,” said Arum. guard from er huge steal and made two free “We’re still lining up opponents, Champion throws to clinch the game. then we’ll talk with Cameron and a physi- “Our defense generates our of- [Dunkin, Pavlik’s co-manager] and cal education fense,” said Umbel. “We rely on the Pavliks and decide on which is major who those steals.” the best deal. has played in With Perry’s offense geared to- “Lockett is attractive, but Giovan- a reserve role ward taking away Poland’s base- ni Lorenzo isn’t out of it and neither for four seasons. line 3-pointer shooters (Fatimus is Rubio. We have to get the num- The son of Charles and Sue in particular), Umbel relied on his bers in order and all that sort of Stingel has played in 11 games dribble penetration to score key stuff. We have plenty of time.” this season, scoring six points. buckets the entire game. Pavlik (33-0, 29 KOs), who holds While at Champion under When asked if he needed to urge the WBC and WBO titles, would fulfill his defense obligations coach Jeff Rasile, Stingel won Umbel to be more aggressive offen- against either Lorenzo (rated No. 1 three letters at point guard and sively, Grisdale said, “He knows.” The Vindicator/Robert K. Yosay by the WBC) or Lockett (the WBO’s averaged 14 points per game as Fatimus fi nished with 15 points TOUGH DEFENSE: Poland High’s David White (5) induces an offensive foul by Perry’s Vinny Hokavar in the fi rst a senior and 12 as a junior. No. 1). Because his 12-round deci- half of the Division II regional semifi nal game Thursday at the Canton Memorial Civic Center. Poland won the sion over Jermain Taylor last month Point Park’s Whipple See Poland on Page C6 game, 67-60, advancing to the championship game against Cleveland Benedictine Saturday afternoon. wasn’t a title defense, Pavlik said is All-AMC North pick doesn’t have as much leeway when Chivas it comes to his next opponent. Whipple, a See Pavlik on Page C6 6-0 senior guard for the Moschella, Schiffauer trying again Point Park basketball team from The Boardman girls coach and his Youngstown YSU loses and Calvary four-year starter made their fi rst Christian High, was state trip three years ago. been named to the All-AMC to Loyola By TOM WILLIAMS North Division team. Whipple led Point Park VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF It was the fourth straight (16-11, 6-4 AMC North) of Over the past loss for the Penguins, who Pittsburgh in scoring (18.2 ppg) four seasons, GAME TIME and steals (57) and was second Boardman’s Ron were defeated 86-70. in rebounding (6.7) and assists Moschella and Boardman (72). He scored a team-best 491 Courtney Schiffau- VINDICATOR STAFF/WIRE REPORT points, making 173-of-356 (49 er have generated basketball percent) from the fi eld, includ- plenty of basket- Who: Spartans vs. West CHICAGO — The Youngstown ing 16-for-48 (33 percent) from ball memories. Chester Lakota West State women’s basketball team 3-point range; and 129-for-149 In their final What: Division I girls continues to struggle as it winds (87 percent) at the foul line. weekend together state semifi nal down the Horizon League regular Last season, Whipple ranked as coach and play- When: 6 p.m. season on the road. No. 3 in the AMC in scoring (20.3) er, Moschella and Where: Value The Penguins suffered their and rebounding (8.6), made 56 Schiffauer will add City Arena at the fourth straight defeat Thursday percent of his fi eld goal attempts a new experience Schottenstein Center, night, falling to Loyola 86-70 at the Columbus and eclipsed 1,000 career points to their resumes Gentile Center. in only his second season at Live updates: Check YSU (12-15, 7-10 Horizon) led for tonight at 6 when Vindy.com for sports- Point Park. He was named AMC the Spartans (19-7) most of the fi rst half, but was out- player of the year as part of the writer Tom Williams’ play West Chester scored 13-2 over the fi nal fi ve min- All-AMC fi rst team, and was se- live blogs and score Lakota West (25- utes of the half and never was able lected to the NAIA Division II All- updates. 1) in the Division I to recover against the Ramblers (7- American fi rst team.